Transcript

of

William Edward Mugford [Obituary]

Trans. Devon. Assoc., vol.  XLII, (1910), pp. 49-50.

by

Maxwell Adams (Ed.)

Prepared by Michael Steer

The obituary was read at the Association’s July 1910 Cullompton meeting. Mr Mugford, celebrated Devon antiquarian and author was a prolific contributor to Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries, as well as a Devonshire Association Member. Consequently, his several highly important literary contributions were celebrated with an obituary, each appropriately modified, from both special interest groups. His D&CN&Q obituary can be accessed here. 
This obituary, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal, can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

Mr. Mugford was the son of William and Catherine Mugford, and was born in Exeter on 10 July, 1861. He was educated at the Practising School in connection with the Exeter Diocesan Training College, and at the University College, Exeter, where he distinguished himself in science and carried off many prizes, including the Tucker prize, awarded to the best student in Science of the year. With the intention of entering the legal profession, he was articled, in 1895 to Mr. Andrew, of the firm of Roberts and Andrew, solicitors, of Exeter, and passed the intermediate law examination, but his health failing he proceeded no further in qualifying for the profession, and entered the Bishop's Registry, where he was Chief Clerk for fourteen years. He had an intimate and thorough acquaintance with the numerous original documents connected with the diocese in the Bishop's Registry, and possessed a special knowledge of local pedigrees, and this knowledge was invariably at the service of all interested in antiquarian and genealogical research, both at home and abroad.
Mr. Mugford joined the Association in 1901, but never contributed any papers. He was, however, a frequent contributor to Devon Notes and Queries, and in 1907, in conjunction with the Rev. O. J. Reichel, he translated and edited "An Old Exeter Manuscript" for that publication. His most valuable work, however, was the issue, in collaboration with the Rev. Sub-Dean Roger Granville, of the first part of Abstracts of the Existing Transcripts of the Lost Parish Registers of Devon, 1596-1644. For this work he sorted and tabulated the whole of the Devon Transcripts in the Bishop's Registry and compared them with a large number of parish registers.
From early boyhood he was a great sufferer from asthma, and bore his complaint with great fortitude. His amiable nature endeared him to his many friends.
He succumbed, after a few days' illness, to an acute attack of bronchitis on 14 January, I9I0, and was buried in the Higher Cemetery at Exeter.